Cartoon Paranormal Project 2
by AMX
Summary: 2 years after the original Cartoon Paranormal Project, six new cartoon characters are sent to the Hawthorne Mill to uncover the truth behind the legend of Wooden Lucy. Can they do it? R
1. Introductions

**Author's Note**: Well, here I am, back again after finishing my "Ed Edd n Eddy/Nightmare Before Christmas/Gorillaz" saga. This time, as a filler story, I've made up a sequel to my story "Cartoon Paranormal Project," written two years ago; I thought it was fitting since Halloween is coming up. To get the full vibe, you might want to read the first story before this one. I came up with the first story after watching the VH1 show _Celebrity Paranormal Project_, so this story, in turn, will also have elements from the show. Be sure to read and review, and happy reading! ;)-**AMX

* * *

**

**Cartoon Paranormal Project 2**

Chapter 1: Introductions

Somewhere in Rural America, there lies an old, abandoned textile mill. It is known as the Hawthorne Mill, and there's a good reason that it is abandoned.

The Hawthorne Mill is said to be haunted.

There are many rumors surrounding the mill. There are stories involving madness, murders, and accidents involving the machines used for the textiles. However, there's one story in particular that stands out: a story involving the wife of the mill's owner. Legends have dubbed the wife "Wooden Lucy."

And on one particular night, six cartoon characters were called upon to investigate her story.

That night, a young female was making her way through the forest with a small bag of personal items and a flashlight. However, there was something different about this woman: she was not a human, she was a _squirrel_.

--

**Name:** Sandy Cheeks

**Residence: **Houston, Texas (previous); Bikini Bottom (current)

**Occupation: **Inventor

**Talents: **Strength training, endurance, inventions

**Paranormal Believer: **No

--

"Tarnation," Sandy muttered as she made her way to the Hawthorne Mill. "This meeting spot would be much easier to find if it wasn't pitch black out here…"

Suddenly, Sandy heard a combination of mumbling and singing in front of her. She walked through a few more trees and bushes, only to find a clearing before her. In the middle of the clearing was a boy, around eleven or twelve years old, with a large, bushy eyebrow on his head and a dark green jacket on his body. He was holding a manila envelope.

The boy saw Sandy, and a big, goofy grin appeared on his face.

"Hello," he said in a slightly deep voice. "Did you come to hunt for ghosts, too?"

--

**Name: **Ed

**Nicknames: **Lumpy, Monobrow

**Residence: **Peach Creek

**Occupation: **Student

**Interests: **Comic books, monster movies

**Paranormal Believer: **Yes

--

Sandy chuckled. "Uh…no," she replied. "I'm here to prove that there are no such things as ghosts, and that all the stories of the Hawthorne Mill are just stories."

Ed stared for a moment, as if he was attempting to make sense of what Sandy just said. Suddenly, it seemed to click, as he frowned at the squirrel. "Nonbeliever," he muttered.

Sandy looked at the envelope. "So…uh…what's in there?" she asked.

Ed looked at the envelope, too. He shrugged. "Uh…I don't know," he said. "I have been waiting for someone to read this to me." He handed the envelope to Sandy.

Sandy looked at the envelope and saw that something was written on the front of it. "It says, 'Do not open until all participants are present'," she said.

"So when is everyone else coming?" asked Ed.

"Finally! When are we gettin' paid?"

Sandy and Ed turned to find an old man standing behind them. He wore overalls, a flannel shirt, black boots, thick glasses and a frown on his face, and a brown hat on his head. He looked like a farmer.

--

**Name: **Eustace Bagge

**Occupation: **Farmer

**Residence: **Nowhere, Kansas

**Likes: **Money, his hat, his chair

**Dislikes: **Stupid dogs

**Paranormal Believer: **Yes

--

Sandy and Ed seemed uneasy by the farmer's disposition.

"Well, uh…" Sandy started, "according to the flyer that advertised this expedition, you get the reward money after spending the entire night in the "haunted" location."

"All night?!" asked Eustace. "I thought it said we got paid beforehand!" He growled, and then mumbled under his breath. "Stupid false advertising…"

"Radda radda radda radda?"

Sandy shone her light behind Ed. Behind him was what could only be described as a living stone tiki creature…wearing an apron.

Ed turned around and looked at the creature made of stone, and his face broke into a huge grin. "Easter Island man!" he cheered.

The creature gave Ed a weird look. "Radda?" he asked.

--

**Name: **Shnitzel

**Occupation: **Chef

**Residence: **Marzipan City

**Talents: **Strength

**Paranormal Believer: **No

--

"Eh…stupid rock people…" said Eustace.

Shnitzel looked at Eustace. "Radda radda radda…" he mumbled.

"Uh…what?" asked Sandy.

"He said he didn't appreciate the farmer's comments," said Ed, with a proud look on his face.

Sandy stared at Ed. "You understood that?" she asked.

"Yep," said Ed. "He talks just like the nocturnal Moon people located in the Sea of Serenity!" He paused. "Can we go into the mill yet?"

"Well…" Sandy gave a head count. "There's four of us here right now, and from what I was told, there's supposed to be six of us here. So that means there should be two more coming…"

"Aww…" Ed mumbled; he was getting impatient.

"What in blazes…? Do they really expect me to work with these imbeciles?"

This comment caught Eustace's attention. "Hey!" he barked, turning around as Sandy shone her flashlight in the same direction.

Behind Eustace was an even older-looking man with a bald head, long nose, and a sort of…yellow tinge to his skin. You could even say he looked a little like a praying mantis.

This man's appearance startled Eustace, Sandy, and Shnitzel. Ed, however, had a different reaction.

"It is a zombie!" he exclaimed. "Just like the minions from the _Cyclops IV: The Blinking_!"

The man looked at Ed. "Excuse me?" he asked.

--

**Name: **Charles Montgomery Burns

**Occupation: **Mogul, Resident bad guy

**Residence: **Springfield

**Age: **Somewhere between 84 and 104

**Paranormal Believer: **Yes

--

"How dare you, you little brat!" Mr. Burns snapped at Ed, walking up to him. "I'm going to give you the thrashing of a lifetime!" He began to try and attack Ed, but all he was able to manage was a few feeble slaps to Ed's chest.

Ed was obviously unaffected. He chuckled. "That tickles!" he said.

Mr. Burns growled in frustration, while Eustace laughed at his pathetic attempt at causing any real harm. "Smithers!" he finally yelled. "Get over here and punch this delinquent in his ugly face!"

Just then, there was a pain-filled groaning sound that came from the woods.

"I can't, sir…" a voice muttered.

"Oh, damn it all!" said Mr. Burns, obviously getting impatient. "Why the devil not?"

"Because, sir…" the voice answered, "I think your supply bag is crushing my spine…"

Shnitzel walked back into the woods, in the direction of the voice in pain. A few seconds later, he came back into view, carrying a backpack as big as Ed in one arm, and a similarly yellow-skinned individual in the other. This man had a flattop full of grayish hair, and was wearing glasses on his face, along with a green business suit. He looked exhausted.

"Damnation, Smithers," said Mr. Burns. "If you can't even carry my supplies, what good are you?"

The man under Shnitzel's arms lazily held his head up. "Forgive me, sir…" he mumbled.

--

**Name: **Waylon Smithers, Jr.

**Occupation: **Personal Assistant

**Residence: **Springfield

**Suspected Preference: **"Burns-sexual"

**Paranormal Believer: **No

--

As Shnitzel put Smithers back on the ground, Sandy looked at the colossal backpack the rock creature was holding.

"_These _are your supplies?" Sandy asked Mr. Burns. "But they instructed us to only bring the essentials!"

"Yes, they did," the old man answered. "And your point is…?"

Sandy sighed. "Never mind," she said. "Let's just see what this says." She finally opened the manila envelope and began reading it out loud.

_"Dear participants, if you are reading this, it means that everyone has shown up, and you are ready to take on the Hawthorne Mill. Tonight, it is your job to look into the legend of Wooden Lucy."_

"Wooden Lucy?" asked Mr. Burns. "Sounds like that broad I dated back in the '40s."

"Fascinating, sir," Smithers seemed to automatically respond. However, Shnitzel couldn't help but notice that the assistant looked a little uncomfortable…

_"Legend has it that the original owner of the mill, only known these days as "Hawthorne," spent too much time at his job. One night, his wife, Lucy, couldn't take it anymore and confronted him in his office. But what she didn't know was that her husband had taken to heavy drinking due to the stress of his job. The night she confronted him, Hawthorne was terribly drunk and, in a blind rage, accidentally killed his wife in his office. In order to cover up the incident, Hawthorne disposed of his wife's body by…sending it into the nearby river."_

"Spooky!" said Ed.

"Radda radda…" said Shnitzel, in disbelief.

"He went to all that trouble?" asked Eustace. "Sheesh…stupid cover-ups…"

_"Ever since the incident, while the mill was still running, workers who were there at night claimed to have seen the ghost of Hawthorne's wife wandering near the wooden mannequins used for textile fittings, thereby giving her the nickname "Wooden Lucy." Your task tonight, if you choose to accept it, is to explore the Hawthorne Mill and try and detect any paranormal activity. You are to find the area with the most paranormal activity, also known as "The Heart of the Haunting," and from there, try to make contact with any ghosts, including Wooden Lucy. Any participant who makes it through the night will receive a cash reward of 100."_

This caught Eustace's attention. "Now we're talkin'!" he said.

"I could buy a lot of jawbreakers with that!" said Ed.

The only one who wasn't impressed was Mr. Burns. "100?" he asked. "That's it? Pish-posh, I carry more than that in my wallet."

"Well, uh…this will just make you 100 richer, sir," said Smithers.

This caught Mr. Burns' attention. "_Excellent_…" he murmured.

"Well, sounds good to me!" said Sandy. "And if this map included with our instructions is accurate, our home base camp is up this way. Let's go!"

"Ghost-hunting time!" Ed exclaimed, following Sandy.

"Home base, eh?" asked Eustace. "It better have a TV!" He followed after Ed and Sandy.

"Come, Smithers," said Mr. Burns, shuffling along behind them.

Shnitzel (still carrying Mr. Burns' backpack) started to follow as well, when he noticed that Smithers still hadn't moved from his spot.

"Radda radda?" he asked the assistant.

"Uh…" Smithers still sounded slightly out of breath. "I'd like to follow, but I'm still trying to regain the feeling in my legs from carrying Mr. Burns' bag."

Shnitzel sighed. "Radda…" He then walked over to Smithers and slung the hapless assistant over his shoulder. The rock creature then went to catch up with the others.

"Thank you," said Smithers.

"Radda," Shnitzel answered back.


	2. First Mission: Mr Burns & Shnitzel

Chapter 2: First Mission-Mr. Burns and Shnitzel

Ed was the first one into the headquarters where the team was staying for the night. And, being the simple-minded boy that he was, he was duly impressed by it. However, all that was in the room was a few chairs, a sofa, six backpacks, each with a set of paranormal equipment and six flashlights, and a desk with a laptop computer and a walkie-talkie on it.

"Cool!" said Ed, jumping onto the sofa.

Eustace was the next person in; needless to say, he wasn't as impressed as Ed.

"What? No TV?" he asked. But then he noticed the larger, overstuffed recliner in the corner; his entire mood changed. "Oh! Works for me!" The farmer walked over to the recliner and made himself comfortable in it.

Sandy and Mr. Burns were next; the mogul didn't seem very impressed either.

"This is it?" Mr. Burns asked, disturbed at how…_plain_ everything looked. "Damnation, my hat closet is bigger than this!"

Sandy gave the old man (well, _older _man, compared to Eustace) a weird look. "Your hats have their own closet?"

"Well, of course," answered Mr. Burns. "Don't yours?"

"…No, can't say they do," said Sandy.

Shnitzel, still carrying Smithers and Mr. Burns' bag, was the last one in. The rock creature put the bag down in the corner, and then set the assistant down. Smithers managed to stagger over to where Ed and Eustace were before he collapsed into a chair.

"Well, how nice of you to join us, Smithers," said Mr. Burns. "What the devil is wrong with you?"

"I'm sorry, sir," Smithers gasped. "Just let me catch my breath…"

Shnitzel shook his head. "Radda radda radda radda," he said.

"He said that the old geezer should take it easier on the assistant guy," said Ed, translating for Shnitzel without even having to be told to.

Mr. Burns glared at Ed, then at Shnitzel. "As much as I would like to ensue revenge for that comment," said the mogul, "my desire for the prize money is more intense." He walked over to the desk and pointed to the laptop. "Just what _is _this contraption?"

"That's a computer," answered Sandy.

"Com…pu…ter?" Mr. Burns repeated, as if this was the first time he'd actually heard the word.

This time, Shnitzel gave Burns an odd look. "Radda?"

"Uh…Mr. Burns isn't the most…techno-savvy person around," Smithers explained.

"Well, either way, I bet this baby's got our missions on here," said Sandy, opening the laptop and turning it on. It made a "Ding!" sound, signifying that it was warming up.

"Ah!" said Mr. Burns. "It spoke!"

Shnitzel slapped his face with his hand.

Ed chuckled. "Silly old guy," he said. "Computers don't talk. At least…not yet."

"Got it!" said Sandy, as the computer fully turned on. "Let's see what we got."

There, on the desktop screen, were four folders: one titled "Mission One," one titled "Mission Two," one titled "Mission Three," and one titled "Final Mission."

"Guess we need to look at the first mission," said Sandy, clicking on the first folder.

A program popped up onto the screen, along with a set of instructions.

"_Welcome to the first mission in your paranormal investigation_," Sandy read. "_Each of you will go on a mission, in groups of two, and investigate areas of the Hawthorne Mill said to have the most paranormal activity. This first mission is for Mr. Burns and Shnitzel_."

"Come again?" asked Mr. Burns.

"Radda?" asked Shnitzel.

Sandy continued. "_During the days when the textile mill was running, there were many reported accidents of workers getting hurt by the numerous and dangerous machines in the mill. One particularly gruesome incident occurred soon after Hawthorne's wife, Lucy, was killed; evidently, an employee who had been working with a machine that pressed animal skins ended up getting caught in the machine and crushed to death._"

"Eww…" said Ed.

"_After the death of that particular employee, workers reported seeing that employee's ghost hanging around the machine that killed him, sometimes even knocking over the dressmaker's dummies._"

"Oh, that makes sense," said Smithers, whose breathing had become steadier.

"_Mr. Burns and Shnitzel's assignment is to travel to the room containing the killer machine and the dressmaker's dummies, and search for any sign that the employee's ghost is present. You are each to take a backpack which contains a camera and walkie-talkies allowing you to keep in touch with home base, as well as the essentials for hunting paranormal activity, particularly an electro-magnetic frequency, or EMF meter._"

Mr. Burns looked at the backpacks on the floor. "Oh, pish-posh!" he said. "I'm not going to resort to lugging _that _monstrosity around on my back just so I can find some unnamed spirit!"

"Radda radda," said Shnitzel, who had already taken a backpack and was putting it on, along with a flashlight.

"Well, that's what it says," said Sandy. "You and Shnitzel have to go to the room and look for the ghost for us to have any success."

"Wait!" said Smithers, who had suddenly regained the feeling in his legs, because he ran right up to the computer. "Does it say anything about me going?"

Sandy scrolled down. "Oh, wait! There's more," she said. "_P.S. Any participant who refuses to partake in their mission will be immediately excluded from the hundred-dollar reward…_"

"What?!" asked Mr. Burns.

"_…And only two people are allowed on each mission, save for the final mission. All remaining team members must stay in the vicinity of home base; if they attempt to help any members on a mission, they are also excluded from the reward._"

"Ohh…" said Smithers. "But you don't understand; Mr. Burns can barely do anything without me! He can't survive in there on his own…especially if there are ghosts running about!"

Mr. Burns looked at his assistant. "I thought you said you didn't believe in spirits, Smithers," he said.

Smithers realized his mistake. "Uh…I don't sir…" he stumbled on his words. "It's just that…you could fall on something, and if I weren't there to assist you…"

"Oh, for goodness sake, Smithers!" said Mr. Burns. "It's this kind of behavior that makes me have to force you to take vacations! You know for a fact that I never turn down an opportunity to obtain more money!" He paused, presumably for dramatic effect. "And if I'm not mistaken, surely you wouldn't squander your chance for the reward by doing something foolish, would you…?"

Smithers looked at his feet, obviously defeated. "No, sir…" he muttered, disappointment in his voice.

"So, uh…" Sandy turned to where Ed and Eustace were sitting. "Any objections over there?"

Ed snapped to attention; he had been reading a comic book that was in his pocket and missed the whole conversation. "What?" he asked, a clueless look on his face.

The only answer from Eustace was a snore; sometime before, he had fallen asleep in the recliner.

"Then it's settled," said Mr. Burns. He attempted to pick up one of the backpacks and a flashlight, but seemed to have trouble even lifting up one of the backpack's _straps._

"Smithers," Burns grunted as he tried to pick the backpack up. "I order you to stay here until I get back. And no matter how much I scream, you are _not _to leave the premises. Understand?"

Smithers started. "But sir…"

"But nothing!" said Burns. "I'm not about to let anything get in my way of obtaining that money, especially because _you _screwed something up. Besides," he paused to point at Shnitzel, "if, by any chance, something _does _happen, I always have this igneous fellow here to take the full brunt of it."

By this time, Mr. Burns managed to get his arms through the straps, but the weight of the backpack was just too much for him; he toppled over backward onto the floor, and began to flail his limbs like an upturned turtle.

Shnitzel looked at the fallen man. "Oh, radda radda…" he grumbled, picking Mr. Burns up by his backpack. He then walked out of home base with the old man.

As soon as they were gone, Sandy turned back to Smithers. "Does he always order you around like that?" she asked.

Smithers looked at the floor again. "Well…usually…" he said. "But as long as I get to spend as much time as I can with Mr. Burns, I don't let it bother me."

Sandy wasn't sure of what to make of the response. "O…kay," she finally said. "Let's see how they're doing." She picked up the walkie-talkie and turned it on. "Come in, team members Shnitzel and Mr. Burns," she said into the device. "Do you copy?"

"Radda radda," came the response on the other end.

"He says they read you loud and clear," said Ed.

Smithers looked at the boy. "How can you understand that?" he asked.

Ed looked at Smithers. "You mean you can't?" he asked.

Smithers sighed. "Never mind…" He gently took the walkie-talkie from Sandy. "Sir, it's me. Are you doing okay so far?"

"Why, yes I am, Smithers," said Mr. Burns' voice, sounding obviously amused. "Smithers, I can hear you through this little box…what's it called again?"

"A walkie-talkie, sir," said Smithers.

"Boys, turn on your cameras," said Sandy, taking the walkie-talkie back. "That way we can get a visual on the surrounding area."

There was a pause, and suddenly, an image of Shnitzel and Mr. Burns was on the computer screen.

"Good work, guys!" said Sandy.

"Can you see me, Smithers?" asked Mr. Burns.

"Yes, sir!" said Smithers, a little too excitedly. "You're quite photogenic on that camera…" This garnered another confused look from Sandy. "Uh…because he's a celebrity…people are always wanting his picture…you know?"

Sandy seemed to buy it. "Okay, boys," said Sandy. "If I'm reading this map that came in the manila envelope correctly, the room you're looking for is to the left of home base as you're exiting it. There should be a door on the side of the building that leads right into the room we want."

"Radda," said Shnitzel.

"He said 'okay'," said Ed.

Smithers looked at Ed again. "Did you really need to translate that one?" he asked.

Ed looked around the room. "Uh…no," he said.

Meanwhile, Eustace continued to snore in the corner.

Shnitzel and Mr. Burns found the door on the side of the mill, and cautiously walked in (well, Shnitzel did; Mr. Burns was still being carried).

"Put me down," Mr. Burns said as they fully entered the room. "I can walk."

Shnitzel put Mr. Burns down, and while the old man wobbled on his feet in a few seconds, he somehow maintained the weight of the heavy bag.

The two team members looked around the room. With the help of their flashlights, they saw the room contained about five or six old dressmaker's dummies, and a large machine containing two large cylinders, presumably used for pressing.

"Okay, Shnitzel, reach into your backpack and take out the EMF meter," Sandy said over the walkie-talkie.

Shnitzel took off his backpack and rooted around in it. "Radda radda?" he asked.

"He wants to know what it looks like," Ed's voice was heard saying.

"It's a small gadget with a meter and a needle on the front," Sandy explained.

With the help of his flashlight, Shnitzel finally found what he was looking for and took it out. "Radda?" he asked, holding it up to the camera.

"That's it!" said Sandy.

Meanwhile, Mr. Burns was shining his flashlight at the dressmaker's dummies. "Boy, this certainly brings back memories," he said. "Grandfather's old textile mill was always such a fascinating place. The hard labor, the mediocre fashions…the unexpected, yet abundant casualties…" His face broke into a twisted grin.

Shnitzel gave a nervous glance toward Mr. Burns, and then began talking into the walkie-talkie again. "Radda radda radda?" he asked.

"He wants to know what they do now," said Ed.

"Well, it looks like Mr. Burns is supposed to knock over one of the dressmaker's dummies," Sandy responded. "It may trigger a reaction from the employee's ghost."

"Is that all?" asked Mr. Burns. He looked at the nearest dummy. "I've always wanted to do this…" He pushed the dummy with all his might, but to his surprise…it hardly budged. "What the…?" Burns tried again, straining with all his might. Then, after much effort, the dummy finally tipped over, making a large BANG sound echo through the big room.

"Whew…" Mr. Burns panted from the effort. "Either I've gotten weaker, or these accursed things have grown heavier with age…"

"I'm sure it's the second one, sir," Smithers said on the walkie-talkie. "Nobody has a physique like yours."

Sandy took the walkie-talkie back. "I'm sure they don't," she said. She turned her attention back to the computer screen. "Anything happen on your end?"

Shnitzel and Mr. Burns looked around. Aside from the occasional breeze from outside, nothing had really happened.

"Radda," said Shnitzel; this time, everyone in home base could tell from the negative tone that he said "No."

"Okay…" said Sandy. "There's one other thing you need to try, then. Shnitzel, you need to put your hand on the top roller of the press. The employee died when he got his hand stuck in it."

Shnitzel looked at the giant press machine; suddenly, it looked ten times more dangerous. "R-radda?" he asked, a little nervous.

"Ooh!" said Mr. Burns. "I saw a worker get injured by one of those machines back in my youth. I must say, I had no idea that much blood could come out of a disembodied hand like that!"

"Uh, sir, I don't think that's going to help him," said Smithers.

"You just have to do it for a second, Shnitzel," said Sandy. "See if any type of a reaction occurs on the EMF meter. We're keeping an eye on it from back here."

It was true; along with visuals of Shnitzel and Mr. Burns and their assignments, there was also a window that showed the rate of the EMF meter.

Shnitzel couldn't keep his eyes off the press. He slowly put his flashlight down so the machine was still illuminated, and held the EMF meter tightly in his other hand. He took a deep breath, and slowly made to set his hand near the area where the two cylinders met.

"You can do it, stone creature!" Mr. Burns called to Shnitzel. "Just don't think about losing your hand!"

Shnitzel flinched, snapping his hand back. He tried again. But…

"Or your fingers getting crushed!"

Shnitzel flinched again, shooting a quick glare at the old man. He tried again, but Mr. Burns kept going.

"Or the sound of your bones breaking! Or how much blood will come out! Or the rest of your body getting sucked in! And _especially _don't think about…"

Finally, Shnitzel lost his temper.

"RADDA!" he snapped at Mr. Burns; however, when he did, he unwittingly slapped his hand against the press. The large CLANG sound of stone hitting metal filled the room.

Suddenly, the two cylinders felt like they were moving! Shnitzel snapped his hand back one last time; thankfully, it was all right.

"You guys okay?" asked Sandy.

"Well, other than nearly going deaf for the second time just now, I'm just peachy," said Mr. Burns. "Why can't you be more careful, you incompetent oaf?!" he barked at Shnitzel.

The rock creature was shocked at first, but this was immediately replaced with anger. He growled at Mr. Burns.

"Now, sir…" said Smithers over the walkie-talkie, "you have to admit, you weren't exactly helping…"

"Guys!" Sandy suddenly interrupted. "We're getting a reading from the EMF meter!"

"Radda?" asked Shnitzel. He looked at the meter in his hand; sure enough, the needle was waving back and forth between the highest and lowest point.

"Bah!" said Mr. Burns. "Just because some high-tech gobbledygook picks up something, doesn't mean it's true! Besides, if the spirit of an employee really was here, I would have sensed it by now!"

Shnitzel looked at the press machine again. The cylinders were once again slowing down. Soon, it caught Mr. Burns' attention, too. Pretty soon, the cylinders stopped moving and remained motionless.

There was a brief period of silence.

"Well," said Mr. Burns. "That proves my point. I haven't felt anything out of the ordinary here, so I suggest we…"

BANG!

Everyone snapped to attention. Shnitzel grabbed his flashlight and shone it toward the area with the dressmaker's dummies.

Another dummy had been knocked over.

"Holy cow!" said Sandy. "We just got a huge spike on the EMF meter! What's going on?!"

BANG!

Shnitzel's light whipped toward another dummy, just in time to see it bounce slightly off the ground from its impact.

Suddenly, the whole room was filled with the sound of dressmaker's dummies being knocked over by some unseen force.

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

Shnitzel's flashlight was being thrust all over the place; in one instance, the two team members caught sight of a dummy falling over!

On the other end, Smithers was near hysterics. "Sir!" he was yelling into the walkie-talkie. "Sir, are you all right?! Answer me! SIR!!"

Suddenly, as fast as it started, it stopped. All was quiet again. Neither Mr. Burns nor Shnitzel dared to make a move.

It was Sandy who finally broke the silence. "We got some_ huge _readings over here," she said. "Whatever caused that, it was significant. You guys still breathing?"

Shnitzel's hands were shaking from the sudden loud noise. However, he was able to manage a shaky "R-r-radda."

"Uh…can we leave now?" asked Mr. Burns, who, for once in his long life, was at a loss.

"Well, you guys got a lot of evidence in my opinion," said Sandy. "Come on back to home base."

"With pleasure!" said Mr. Burns. He tried to walk with the backpack still slung on his back, but he was struggling.

Apparently, Shnitzel wanted out, and he wanted out _now_. The next thing Mr. Burns knew, he was scooped up by the rock creature and being carried back to home base.

Shnitzel burst through the door of home base not a moment too soon. He quickly put down the backpacks and flashlights, along with Mr. Burns. Both team members are breathing heavily.

"Sir!" said Smithers, instantly relieved to see his boss again. "Thank God…"

"Well," said Sandy. "This night sure got off to an exciting start, huh boys?"

Shnitzel didn't say anything. He just walked over to the sofa and took a seat next to Ed.

Mr. Burns, however, wasn't making much effort to move. He finally turned his head toward his assistant. "Er…Smithers?" he asked quietly.

"Yes, sir?" asked Smithers.

"Help me to the bathroom, posthaste," said Mr. Burns. "I'm having a…slight problem with my pants."

Smithers immediately knew what Mr. Burns was talking about. "Right away, sir," he said.

Sandy watched as Mr. Burns and Smithers scurried as quickly as they could to the restroom at the far end of the room. She then looked over to the rest of the group; Shnitzel was trying to control his shaking hands, and Ed was still engrossed in his comic.

And Eustace, the "sophisticated farmer," was still snoring away.


	3. Second Mission: Sandy & Eustace

Chapter 3: Second Mission-Sandy and Eustace

Ed, Shnitzel, and Sandy waited patiently for Mr. Burns and Smithers to emerge from the bathroom (Eustace was still asleep). After about fifteen minutes, the duo finally came out.

"Feel better?" asked Sandy.

"Indeed," said Mr. Burns.

"Never better…" Smithers muttered.

"Next mission! Next mission!" said Ed.

"Well…all right," said Sandy. "Since Mr. Burns and Shnitzel completed their mission, I guess we can go on to the next one." She clicked on the folder entitled "Mission Two."

"_Welcome to your second mission in the Hawthorne Mill,_"Sandy read. "_This mission is for Eustace and Sandy_."

Sandy stopped reading and looked at the others. "Looks like I'm up," she said. "One of you is going to have to take over the computer while I'm gone."

Sandy looked at Shnitzel first. He shrugged and said, "Radda." He was immediately out; there was no way to understand any information he would be giving.

Ed, meanwhile, had sat down on the floor and had a blank expression on his face. "I'm counting my teeth!" he suddenly said.

Sandy gave an exasperated look at the two. "Why don't you two wake up Eustace?" she asked.

"Can do, chief!" said Ed. He and Shnitzel walked over to Eustace.

Sandy turned her attention to Mr. Burns and Smithers. Mr. Burns was eyeing the computer intently.

"Smithers, what does "ctrl" mean?" the old man asked his assistant.

Sandy looked at her last hope.

Smithers sighed. "Don't worry," he said. "I know how to work a computer." He sat down in the desk chair.

"OW!"

Sandy, Smithers, and Mr. Burns looked over at Ed, Shnitzel, and Eustace. The two had successfully woken the farmer up…by holding his nose.

"What did I do?" Eustace asked, sitting up.

"It's your turn to go in the house, Farmer!" said Ed.

"What if I don't want to?" asked Eustace.

"You have to," said Smithers. "If you don't do the mission, you don't get the hundred dollars."

"What?!" asked Eustace. "Outta my way!" He immediately got up and ran over to the backpacks, putting his gear on.

"What do we have to do in the house?" Sandy asked as she also put her gear on.

"Well, let's see…" said Smithers, looking at the computer screen.

"_Sandy and Eustace are to enter the office of Hawthorne, the original owner of the Hawthorne Mill, and the next-door weaving loom room. Legend has it that even when Hawthorne was married to Lucy, he would venture over to the weaving loom room to…converse with the other girls._"

Sandy, Shnitzel, Ed, and Eustace immediately got it. They all seemed caught off-guard.

"What?" asked Mr. Burns. "That was commonplace back in the day. I know for a fact that my grandfather did it numerous times."

Smithers continued to read.

"_After the mill was closed down, there were claims that the ghost of Hawthorne, and even the ghosts of some of the weaving ladies, have remained in the rooms they became so accustomed with. Sandy and Eustace's job is to go to the rooms and detect any presence of Hawthorne or the weaving ladies._"

"Well, that should be a cinch," said Sandy. "There's probably not going to be anything in there anyway."

"Don't be too sure," said Mr. Burns. "It wasn't a coincidence that those dressmakers dummies fell."

"Yeah…sure," said Sandy. "That was probably just the wind."

Mr. Burns narrowed his eyes. "Very well," he said. "Keep deluding yourself. You'll see once you get in there."

"…Right," said Sandy. "Just keep focused on those monitors, Smithers."

"Oh, don't worry," said Smithers. "I'm totally focused." He then looked around him; behind him, Ed, Shnitzel, and Mr. Burns had gathered around the computer behind him. "…Granted I don't suffocate first."

"Great," said Sandy. "See you soon."

She then left home base, with Eustace following while mumbling something under his breath.

The remaining four team members stayed crowded around the computer, waiting for something to happen. They were relieved when Sandy and Eustace appeared on the screen through their cameras.

Smithers picked up the walkie-talkie. "Sandy, state your location," he said into it.

"We're right outside the home base," said Sandy. "Where do we go now?"

"According to the map," said Smithers, looking at it, "You have to go through the room where Shnitzel and Mr. Burns previously were. There should be a door on the other side of the room with a staircase on the other side. Go up the stairs, and enter the second door on your left; this is the weaving room."

"Roger that," said Sandy.

Ed, Shnitzel, Burns, and Smithers watched intently as Sandy and Eustace made their way through the room with the pressing machine and the still overturned dressmakers dummies and found the door that led upstairs.

After going up the creaky old stairs, Sandy and Eustace found themselves in the upper reaches of the Hawthorne Mill. They found the second door to their left, and entered the room. The Weaving Room still had a few old weaving looms in it, covered in dust from years of not being used.

"Okay, we're in the weaving room," said Sandy. "Now what?"

"Let's see…" Smithers began to read the instructions again. "Eustace, you have to stay in the weaving room. Sandy, you go back in the hallway."

"What?" asked Eustace.

"Okay then," said Sandy, leaving the room.

"Eh…stupid weaving room without a stupid TV…" Eustace mumbled.

"Okay, I'm back in the hallway," said Sandy, looking around; the place was pitch black. The only supplied light was her flashlight.

"Okay, enter the first room on the left of the stairs; the room before the weaving room. This should be Hawthorne's office," Smithers instructed.

"Something's not gonna eat her when she walks in there, right?" Ed could be heard asking in the background.

"Radda?" asked Shnitzel.

"Come on, you two," said Smithers. "Don't make this situation more stressful than it hast to be."

While Smithers was talking to Ed and Shnitzel, Sandy was making her way into Hawthorne's office. Just as she was about to enter…

_Creeeeak…_

Sandy whipped her head around. Smithers saw this on the monitors.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"Uh…no," said Sandy. "This old place is just a little rickety on its foundation."

Sandy finally entered the room. There wasn't much in it anymore; there was an old looking file cabinet in the corner, and a couple of chairs. But the most prominent feature was the ancient desk in the middle of the room.

"I'm in the office," said Sandy. "Now what?"

"Eustace, sit down at one of the weaving looms," Smithers instructed.

"Bah…" Eustace grunted, but he did it anyway. He wanted that money _bad_. "All right, I'm at the stupid loom."

"From his office, Hawthorne could hear the weavers working on the looms," Smithers explained. "Eustace is going to work one of the looms to see if we can get any reaction from Hawthorne's ghost. If there is a reaction, Sandy will pick it up with the EMF meter."

"I've got the meter," said Sandy. "Whenever you're ready, Eustace."

"Eh…" Eustace went into mumbling mode again. "Okay…gotta work the loom…how do ya work this thing…?" He finally spotted the bar that you slammed down to tighten the weaved cloth. He reached up and grabbed onto it, but years of no use made it stuck. He bent over a little more until his hat was sticking into the area where you put the yarn (**A/N**: I have no idea if that's accurate or not, so if it isn't, I'm sorry).

Meanwhile, Sandy and the others were waiting for a reaction. Sandy wasn't seeing much of a reaction on the EMF meter.

"Anything yet?" asked Smithers.

"Nope," said Sandy. She looked around the office again. Like anything was really going to happen…

SLAM!

"AAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Sandy jumped at the sudden scream from Eustace. She was about to run out of the room and see what was wrong, when suddenly…

All the drawers on the filing cabinet suddenly shot open, and to the other side of Sandy, one of the legs of the desk suddenly gave way and caused a loud THUMP on the floor.

"We're getting a reading on the EMF meter!" Smithers exclaimed. "What's going on in there?"

"I'll tell you what's going on in there!" Mr. Burns said in the background. "Hawthorne is reacting to the sound of his lady friends working! _That's _what's happening!"

"Sir, with all due respect, you're not helping!" said Smithers. "Is everyone all right over there?!"

"Yeah!" said Sandy, getting a little nervous. "I'm sure that…this place is just fallin' apart. Like I said, this isn't the best foundation. I'm gonna see if Eustace is okay!"

Sandy did want to see if Eustace was okay, but she also didn't want to spend any more time in that creepy office than she had to. She sped out of the office and back into the weaving room. However, she was greeted with a sight she wasn't exactly expecting to find.

Eustace's hat was caught in the weaving loom, and he was attempting to yank it out. The only problem was that the hat was wedged hard below the weaving bar.

"You okay, Farmer?" asked Sandy.

"Stupid loom!" said Eustace. "It grabbed me hat and now it won't let go!"

"Well, I think we've found enough evidence," said Sandy. "Just get it out and let's…"

SLAM! SLAM!

There were two other looms in the room, and without warning, both their bars slammed down. This caused both Sandy and Eustace to jump; Eustace jumping made him give one last tremendous tug, which freed his hat and sent him tumbling backward.

"We just got another huge spike on the EMF meter!" Smithers exclaimed. "Is everything all right?!"

"I think we got enough evidence!" Sandy responded. "We're coming back!"

"We'd better!" Eustace barked, getting up. "If we gotta spend the rest of the night here with all _this _going on, I'm gonna spend it in that chair!"

With that, Sandy and Eustace ran out of the room, back down the stairs, through the presser room, back outside, and straight back into home base.

Everyone else turned around.

"Well," said Smithers, "you certainly wasted no time getting back here."

"Still think it's just the wind?" Mr. Burns asked Sandy.

Sandy sighed. "Okay, it wasn't the wind…but I'm sure there's perfectly scientific explanation as to why that happened." She paused. "I…just can't think of it now."

"Works for me," said Eustace, taking his backpack off and going right back to the recliner.

"There, there, miss," Ed said to Sandy. "There is plenty to be ashamed of."

"Ra radda radda radda ra radda?" Shnitzel asked Ed.

Ed looked back at Shnitzel. "…No, I don't know what it means," he said. "What does it mean?"

"So, I'm guessing this means we're ready to move onto the third mission?" asked Mr. Burns.

"I guess so," said Sandy, who had regained most of her composure. "And there's only two people who haven't gone anywhere yet…"

All eyes (except for Eustace, who had fallen asleep again) turned to Ed and Smithers.

"YAY!" Ed cheered.

"Oh, goody…" said Smithers, with _much _less enthusiasm.


	4. Third Mission: Ed & Smithers

**Author's Note**: Well, it's after Halloween, and I'm still working on a Halloween story. But hey, if _The Simpsons _can do it, so can I, right? Happy reading! ;)-**AMX

* * *

**

Chapter 4: Third Mission-Ed and Smithers

As Ed was enthusiastically putting his gear on, Smithers seemed a little more hesitant.

"You know…" he started, "I really don't need that hundred dollars…"

"Oh, what's wrong, Smithers?" asked Mr. Burns. "You've been holding on all this time, and now you want to back out?"

"Uh…it's not what I have to do, sir," Smithers responded. "It's who I have to do it _with_…"

"Hey now, be nice," said Sandy. "The instructions said that if somebody doesn't go on their mission, they have to stay in home base while everyone else goes to the final mission." She paused. "That means your boss would be going back in the factory without you again…"

Smithers visibly stiffened when he heard this.

"That's true, Smithers," said Mr. Burns. "Still want to sit this one out?"

"Uh…of course not!" said Smithers, immediately going to put the gear on. "What do we have to do?"

"Well, let's see here," said Sandy. She clicked on the "Third Mission" folder.

"_Welcome to your third mission in your exploration of the Hawthorne Mill. This mission is for Ed and Smithers._

"_As the legend goes, after Hawthorne accidently killed his wife, Lucy, he dumped her body into the nearby river. After her disappearance, people began reporting sightings of "Wooden Lucy" around the area where her body was allegedly dumped."_

"Makes sense," said Ed.

"Radda," said Shnitzel.

The only one not paying attention was Eustace, who was sound asleep in the recliner again.

"_Ed and Smithers' job is to go to the area where Wooden Lucy's body was dumped and attempt to find any sign of her ghost in the premises with the EMF meter._"

"Now _that's _a surprise," said Smithers.

"Oh come now, Smithers," said Mr. Burns. "Where's your sense of adventure?"

By this time, an anxious Ed was already heading out the door.

"It's waiting for me back at the car, sir," Smithers sighed, following Ed out the door.

After Smithers and Ed were gone, Mr. Burns sighed.

"Such a good assistant," he said. "But he's just so _clingy _sometimes…like a love-struck schoolgirl."

"Really?" asked Sandy, looking over the instructions on the computer. "I can't imagine why."

Shnitzel rolled his eyes.

And Eustace let out a snore.

---

"Ooh, which way do we go?" asked Ed. "Which way do we go?!"

"Calm down, will you?" asked Smithers, who was looking for the walkie-talkie. "Sheesh, you're worse than some of the workers back at the plant…" He finally found what he was looking for, and turned it on. "Okay, we're outside home base. Where do we go now?"

"Well, according to the map, you're supposed to head straight down, near the river. The place you're looking for is near a dock and a small clearing."

"Roger," said Smithers. "We'll radio in again when we get to the river."

Ed looked at Smithers. "Who's Roger?"

The assistant just sighed.

---

It took a couple minutes, but Smithers and Ed finally got to the right place. It was a small clearing near the river, with a small dock that led out to the water. Smithers remembered the clearing as the place where he and Mr. Burns were rowed onto the island (everyone's transportation was parked on the other side of the river).

"COOL!" said Ed, beginning to run around the clearing.

"Okay, we're at the river," said Smithers. "Now what?"

Sandy read over the instructions. "Well…do you see a small fire pit in the area?"

Smithers looked around; near the middle of the clearing were a small bundle of sticks, obviously to prepare a fire.

"Yeah, there's one here," he responded into the walkie-talkie.

"Okay, according to a good majority of Wooden Lucy sightings, the ghost often showed up when people camping on the island lit their fires near the area of the dock. They also claim that the river would unexpectedly become very violent and choppy. You guys need to start a fire and see if Wooden Lucy's ghost gives any kind of response."

"Got it," said Smithers. He crouched down and began to rub two of the twigs together. When he didn't get an immediate flame, he turned his attention back to Ed. "Hey, kid!" said Smithers; Ed stopped in his tracks. "Do you think you can blow on this for me?"

"Gotcha, Four-Eyes!" said Ed. He ran over to the fire pit and sat down in front of it.

"What'd you call me?" asked Smithers. But Ed was no longer paying attention; he was busy blowing on the wood, which was beginning to smoke.

Finally, between the abilities of the two team members, a small fire started.

"Okay, we got fire!" Smithers said into the walkie-talkie. "Now what?"

"Take out the EMF meter," said Sandy. "If Wooden Lucy responds, it will show up."

Smithers took the EMF meter out of his bag and turned it on. He pointed it at the fire for a minute, and then pointed it toward the river. There was no jump on the meter's needle.

"You getting anything on your end?" asked Sandy. On her side, she, Mr. Burns, and Shnitzel had their eyes glued to the computer screen.

"No," said Smithers. "Frankly, I'm not surprised…" he added under his breath.

"Maybe we just need to make her more welcome," Ed suggested.

"How?" asked Smithers.

"By thinking there's a fellow spirit here!" Ed exclaimed. He then began to wave his hands around. "I am the cotton swab! Release the wax, ear person!"

Smithers gave Ed a weird look. "Uh…yeah," he said. "Call me crazy, but I don't think that's going to…"

FWOOSH!

"OH, GOD!"

Mr. Burns jumped at the panicked sound of Smithers' voice. He grabbed the walkie-talkie.

"Smithers!" he shouted into the walkie-talkie. "What's going on over there? Damnation, answer me, man!"

"I…I can't explain it, sir!" Smithers' worried voice finally answered. "But…the flames just shot up to six feet!"

"These EMF readings are all over the place!" Sandy exclaimed.

"Radda radda…" said Shnitzel.

On the other side, Ed was staring at the oversized fire in awe. Then, without warning, water splashed onto his back (thankfully, at some point, he had taken his backpack off). He turned around and saw that the river had suddenly begun to kick up thrashing waves, despite the fact that he couldn't feel any wind.

"It is Wooden Lucy!" Ed exclaimed, throwing his arms up again. "Evil Tim has beckoned her!"

"Okay, you're not helping!" said Smithers, who was trying to control the fire. "Make yourself useful and help me douse this thing before it spreads!"

Ed looked blank for a second, then his face lit up. "Gotcha, Four-Eyes!" he said. He ran over to the raging river and peeled off his jacket. He dipped it in the water, ran back to Smithers and the fire, and wrung it out over the wood.

The fire immediately died down, and Smithers extinguished the rest with dirt.

The assistant breathed a sigh of relief. "Well…" he said, "…that was enough excitement for one night, don't you think?"

"I think we got enough evidence on this end," said Sandy. "You guys can come on back!"

"_Thank _you," said Smithers, getting his gear back together and heading straight back to home base.

Ed, who had put both his jacket and his backpack on, did not share Smithers' feelings.

"Aww…" he said as he trudged back to home base.


	5. Final Mission: All Members

Chapter Mission: Final Mission-All Members

Sandy, Mr. Burns, and Shnitzel looked at the door as a weary Smithers and a disappointed Ed reentered home base.

"Well…" said Sandy. "You two seem exhilarated."

Smithers said nothing; he just walked by the desk and plopped down in a chair next to Eustace.

"It was so cool!" said Ed. "The lake became alive, and a fireball almost ate Four-Eyes!"

Shnitzel stared at Ed. "Radda…" he muttered.

"Wow," said Sandy. "Sounds like it could have gotten really ugly."

"You mean ugli_er_," said Smithers, finally speaking again.

"Oh come now, Smithers!" said Mr. Burns. "Don't tell me you're upset just because your clothes almost got singed!"

"You don't know the half of it, sir…" Smithers muttered.

Sandy decided to change the subject. "Well…now that everyone's gone on a mission, I guess we're ready for the final mission." She clicked on the folder that read "Final Mission."

One last window popped up on the screen.

"_Congratulations on nearly making it through your night at the Hawthorne Mill,_" Sandy read. "_Before continuing, discuss with your group and decide which three members experienced the most paranormal activity. Then, out of the three, decide which member experienced the most paranormal activity overall. Also, decide which of the three locations you visited had the most activity, or "The Heart of the Haunting." When you have made your decisions, click on the three members that had the most activity and the area that you consider "The Heart of the Haunting." Your further instructions will be printed out based on your choices._"

Sandy turned back to the group. "Well, I know on my mission, nothing happened until Eustace touched the weaving looms. Then strange things kept happening in the weaving loom room, where Eustace was…" She paused. "I vote Eustace as one of the top three."

Then Ed decided to speak up. "The fireball almost ate Four-Eyes before the lake became alive," he said.

Everyone looked at Smithers. Their response was a sour glare.

"Yeah…" said Sandy. "But it was your chanting that made the spirit appear, Ed," said Sandy. "I think you should go."

Ed's face immediately lit up. "Yay!" he said.

Sandy then looked at Shnitzel and Mr. Burns. "What about you two?" she asked.

"Well, although I admit it was this beast's disturbing of the press that caused the madness on our mission," Mr. Burns said while pointing at Shnitzel, "when the dressmaker's dummies fell over, I distinctly felt entities flying past me."

"So you're saying _you _experience the most paranormal activity?" asked Sandy. "Even out of everyone else?"

"Well, I would certainly hope so!" said Mr. Burns. "Considering I always have the most of everything anyway…"

Shnitzel rolled his eyes. "Oh, radda radda…" he muttered.

"O…kay," said Sandy. "So it's agreed: Ed, Eustace, and Mr. Burns experience the most paranormal activity, Mr. Burns experienced the most out of everyone, and the press room is the Heart of the Haunting?"

"Yep!" said Ed.

Mr. Burns nodded.

Smithers and Shnitzel shrugged.

Eustace snored.

"Oh, yeah," said Sandy. "Somebody wake him up. He's gonna want to hear this."

Smithers reached over and shook Eustace on the shoulder (his experience with Mr. Burns helped).

Eustace slowly sat up. "What's-huh?" he asked. "Do we get the money now?"

"We probably will after we finish this last mission," said Smithers. "Oh, and we voted you as one of the three members who encountered the most paranormal activity."

"Wha?!" asked Eustace. "What do I get out of it?"

"If you cooperate, your share of money," said Sandy. She then turned to the computer. "Okay, top three is Eustace, Ed, and Mr. Burns…Heart of the Haunting is the pressing room…and enter."

Just then, the printer next to the computer printed out a page filled with further instructions. Sandy picked it up.

"_Now that you have chosen your top three and the Heart of the Haunting, all five of you are to head to the pressing room, each with your backpacks. Also, located in the corner of the room are a card table and a bag that is vital to your vital mission; bring those items along as well. Do not read further until you have all entered the Heart of the Haunting._"

Everyone looked over to the corner of the room. Indeed, there was a card table and a small bag sitting there.

"Huh," said Smithers. "I didn't notice that there."

"I thought it was left behind by some wandering delinquent," said Mr. Burns, as Shnitzel helped him put his backpack back on.

"Who cares?" asked Eustace. "Let's just get this stupid mission over with so I can get me money!"

"Hear, hear!" said Mr. Burns.

"Is that all you think about?" Sandy asked Eustace. "Money?"

"Nope," said Eustace. "I think about me favorite chair, too."

Smithers and Shnitzel rolled their eyes.

Shnitzel got the card table and the bag from the corner of the room. Then, after everyone got their bags on, they all began the trek to the pressing room.

---

"Ah, yes," said Mr. Burns, looking at the room with the intimidating pressing machine and still overturned dressmaker's dummies. "Just the way we left it, eh old boy?"

All this earned was a weird look from Shnitzel.

"All right, we're here," said Smithers. "Now what?"

Sandy, who still held the instructions, looked back at them again.

"_Once you are in the Heart of the Haunting, set the card table up, and look in the bag. Take out the scroll that is in it and put it on the table._"

Smithers set up the card table, while Shnitzel opened the bag and pulled out a large scroll. The rock creature unrolled the large piece of paper and placed it on the card table. Basically, the pictures on the scroll looked like something out of an exorcism session.

"Ooh!" said Ed. "I saw that in a movie once."

Smithers looked at the scroll. There were two outlines of hands on each side of the paper, and a large circle in the middle.

"Uh, I'm starting to have second thoughts about this," said the assistant.

"Oh, good heavens, Smithers," said Mr. Burns. "I've been on the brink of death for so long anyway; what's one more moment of living on the edge?"

Smithers sighed in defeat. "You're the boss…boss," he said.

"Exactly," said Mr. Burns. "Now, what exactly are we supposed to do with this parchment?"

"Well, let's see…" said Sandy, reading the instructions further.

"_Also in the bag is an item that was connected to Wooden Lucy. This item is to be placed in the circle on the parchment._"

Shnitzel reached into the bag again and pulled out a wooden bracelet. He placed it in the circle in the middle of the parchment.

"_Eustace is to place his hand in the hand-print on the right, and Ed is to place his hand in the hand-print on the left. Mr. Burns is to place his hand on the item that is connected to Wooden Lucy. Nobody is allowed to remove their hand during the course of the mission._

"_Once everyone is ready, the chosen three are to recite the incantation on the scroll, starting with Ed, then Eustace, and ending with Mr. Burns. The incantation is to be said three times._

"_Mr. Burns will act as the vessel that the spirit contacted will speak through. Your last job is to attempt to liberate the spirit and allow it to cross over to the other side. When you feel you have gotten enough information, Mr. Burns will say the incantation at the top of the scroll to allow the spirit to cross over._"

"WHAT?!" asked Smithers.

"COOL!" said Ed.

"Radda…" said Shnitzel.

"Well…I guess that's it," said Sandy. "I guess you guys can start at any time."

Ed looked at his part of the incantation. "We open the door to the world beyond," he said. Then he giggled excitedly.

Eustace then looked at his part, knowing that the faster he did it, the faster he'd get his money. "We call to the spirit trapped in this place," he said.

Finally, Mr. Burns looked at his part of the incantation. "Enter me now through this token of your past," he said. "Ooh, mysterious."

Meanwhile, Sandy and Shnitzel looked on, waiting for something to happen. Smithers seemed terribly uneasy, most likely because he was worried about his boss (either that, or he had to go to the bathroom).

"We open the door to the world beyond…"

"We call to the spirit trapped in this place…"

"Enter me now through this token of your past…"

"_We open the door to the world beyond…_"

"_We call to the spirit trapped in this place…_"

"_Enter me now through this token of your past…_"

Then…silence.

Sandy looked around. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. "So, uh…" She turned her attention to Mr. Burns. "You feel anything?"

"Well, let's see…" said Mr. Burns. "I suddenly feel…angry, and…hurt…resentful…"

"You think it's Wooden Lucy?" asked Smithers.

"Radda radda," Shnitzel answered.

"Also, this image keeps flashing into my head," said Mr. Burns. "This room, with a desk, and a file cabinet…"

"Mr. Hawthorne's office!" Sandy exclaimed.

"Radda?" asked Shnitzel.

"Well, that makes sense…" said Smithers. "It's understandable that she would be upset at her husband…"

WHOOSH!

WHAM!

Suddenly, as if Smithers hadn't had enough scares that night, a dressmaker's dummy unexpectedly sailed through the air and slammed into the wall…_right next to the door that led upstairs_!

Everyone jumped (and the chosen three even did it without taking their hands away).

"Okay…" said Smithers. "That's not normal!"

"RADDA!" Shnitzel suddenly yelled.

And he had a good reason to yell. The skin presser had suddenly started rolling all by itself. At the same time, another dressmaker's dummy flew across the room, nearly missing Eustace.

"Eh!" said Eustace. "What are ya tryin' to do, knock me head clean off my shoulders?!"

"Faster pussycat, faster!" Ed exclaimed.

"Say the last incantation!" Sandy yelled to Mr. Burns.

Mr. Burns frantically looked at the last incantation at the top of the scroll. "You are no longer welcome here. We close off our circle to you. Go now and leave us in peace!"

Then, just as quickly as it began, everything stopped. Dummies stopped flying, and the presser stopped turning. Everything was quiet again.

Everybody was panting hard.

"Well, I'd say we have enough evidence…" said Smithers.

"Eh…stupid ghosts…" said Eustace.

"Yeah, I'd say were done here…" said Sandy. "Just grab everything and run!"

With that, Shnitzel quickly rolled the scroll back up, put it and the bracelet back in the bag, folded up the card table, and joined everyone else in running out of the Hawthorne Mill, and straight back to home base.

---

All six team members burst through the door of home base.

"Well…" Mr. Burns panted. "I dare say we've done enough damage for one night?"

"Radda radda radda," said Shnitzel, nodding.

"Okay…" said Smithers. "I still don't believe in ghosts, but…I'm not sure I can explain how that happened."

"And…I suppose there are some things that even science can't explain…" said Sandy.

"Eh, who cares?" asked Eustace. "When do we get the money?"

"Apparently, we can leave once the sun comes up," said Smithers. "We'll probably get our money when we get back to our cars."

"Well, our timing's perfect," said Sandy, looking out the window. "Look! The sun's coming up right now!"

"Radda!" said Shnitzel.

"Well, it's about time!" said Mr. Burns. "I don't think I could have handled another minute in this place. Come, Smithers." He began to head toward the door.

"Right away, sir," said Smithers. However, his mood seemed to drop when he remembered the large backpack he had to carry. And Mr. Burns hadn't even used it!

"Radda," said Shnitzel. Without even having to be asked, he picked up the large backpack and walked out of home base. Sandy and Ed followed.

When the group got to the dock at the lake, they saw a boat and a rower waiting for them.

"Now that's service!" said Eustace.

As the group was walking to the dock, Ed suddenly saw something out of the corner of his eye. He immediately turned, just in time to see this faint outline of what appeared to be a woman wearing old-time clothes…

"Ed, you coming?" Sandy called to him.

"Coming!" said Ed, heading toward the boat. "Went right over my head…

End Cartoon Paranormal Project 2

* * *

**Author's Note**: And at long last, the second Cartoon Paranormal Project comes to a close. And I'm glad it's done. But now it's time for me to be serious about something (uh oh…).

You see, I'm thinking about taking another hiatus for a while. I've had to deal with a lot of things lately, and I'm afraid if I keep writing like I am now, I'll experience a total burnout.

Unfortunately, this means that _Kingdom of Earth _may be delayed for a while. I feel bad for keeping the fans waiting, but I'd rather write when I'm at the top of my game. So although it may be delayed, it _is _coming. Until then, happy reading! ;)-**AMX**


End file.
